Without fear, the little girl balled up a handful of snow and threw
it into my chest; it sprayed off. "You don't look that strong."

I leaned down to her until our eyes meet. "What would a little girl know?"

She had another ball of snow in her other hand that I didn't see
until she threw it in my face. Keeping my perfected coolness, I closed
my eyes, wiped it away, and stood straight. Not far from us, there was
a snow-topped boulder half the size of a man, and twice the size of
this little girl. I squinted down at little Sue. "Watch this."

I hoisted the boulder above my shoulders and then heaved it over my
head. I didn't glance back at her, but I had a niggling hunch she was
staring at me, her eyes bulging as big as my biceps. A tree stood
twenty feet away and I launched the boulder into it, cracking the
trunk. The sound of the split, tree-mendous.

My proud fists were punched squarely into my hips when Sue came over. "Not that impressive."

"You need endurance," she said, and gathered two pebbles beside the
river before handing me one. "I bet I can carry this pebble further
than you can. Cause I have endurance." At the point she said 'I,' her
smugly nose shot up. "You're just one big puff of steam and you're
finished."

"I've no time for this, little girl."

"Sue."

I puffed some steam; proving her last accusation correct, which
urged me to show I was more important than her. "Sue, I have to go save
people." I'm sure there was someone needing saving somewhere, possibly
a hapless man and woman being attacked by a crazed bearded-bandit with
a blood-dripping axe. Or perhaps myself from this snotty one's empty
taunts.

"You're chicken."

"I'm not c-"

"Big, bold Hercules, too chicken to challenge a little girl."

"Thought you said it was 'Sue.'"

Sue flicked her brown hair. "You accepting my challenge or not? Shan't take long to plunge you into oblivion."

I looked at the little--Sue. I stared at Sue and clenched the pebble tight in my fist. "Fine. Challenge accepted."

"Very good. We start now and here. Follow me."

Sue took off carrying her pebble.

This is absurd, not even a challenge. I shook my head, breathed deeply, and then followed behind her. "Hey, wait up."

"Keep up," she said without turning around.

That's it. I started striding, almost caught her when I slammed to a dead stop.

But Sue kept walking on carrying her pebble further than me.

I watched her go.

She suddenly stopped, not facing me but I knew her snotty face would
have a smile spread right across it. Then she slowly turned and there
it was, big and wide, with her eyes glowing above the smile. "Can't
keep up?" she said.

Can't let this brat defeat Hercules, I'd never live it down. I took a step and then stopped again.

Sue shrugged. "Thought you wouldn't." She strode on.

"Wait."

Sue turned around.

"I can make it."

I stepped onto the river that had frozen over, uncertain it could
take my weight, but I was Hercules, so I kept going. I took another
step, then another, the ice was holding firm. I glanced up at Sue and
smiled. She glanced down at my feet and smiled.

A crack was splitting beneath me. I looked back toward the bank.

"Scared?" Sue called.

Her voice sent blood rushing to my face, I felt it heat up. I faced
her and took another step. There was a loud crack. It sounded just like
when I snapped that tree with the boulder. Then I fell through ice and
plunged into the freezing river, plunging into oblivion – just like she
said she'd do to me.

After lifting my head from the water, I saw Sue scoot to the
opposite side where she laughed and giggled. I grabbed the ice with my
big hands, but it kept breaking. It was thinner the further I left the
bank.

The water was freezing my back almost into a solid block, and I
turned around, crawled up onto the thicker part of the ice and slumped
back.

We faced each other on opposite sides of the bank. I was dripping
wet and freezing in the snow. She planted her tiny fists into her tiny
hips.

Then she threw her pebble at me and it sunk in the snow near my foot. "Keep it," she said, "to remind you of me."